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This year, the O’Dwyer’s rankings for top PR firms took a jump from 133 to 140 entries—a number that includes 21 firms that were not in the rankings last year.
The new—or returning—kids on the block hail from New York (six firms), Chicago and the Miami-Fort Lauderdale (three firms each), plus a coast-to-coast range of cities including Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Denver, Phoenix and Irvine, CA.
For most of these firms, 2025 was a pretty good year, with 16 out of 20 showing a jump in fees from 2024.
We talked to several of these additions to our list to uncover some of the strategies for success that put a firm on our rankings board:
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| Jonathan Rosen |
Our #8 firm, Orchestra, is only partly a newcomer to the list. Inkhouse, one of the firms that was brought together to create Orchestra, came in at #29 last year. With its new name and roster of firms, however, Orchestra pulled in $177M in 2025 fees.
Orchestra CEO Jonathan Rosen says that success in today's environment takes forming an individualized, personal relations wth clients. "Clients need more than tactical execution—they need guidance on how to make sense of a complicated and rapidly changing landscape, define the business problem that actually matters and turn insight into action," he told us. "Our model is built around building trust with our clients, digging deeper, challenging assumptions and building trust to sometimes say the hard thing and recommend a change of course.This drove growth in 2025 and it's a trend I expect will only continue as we navigate 2026."
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| Chris Wahl |
Bodewell Group, a Phoenix firm that supports infrastructure projects, technology advancements and public policies, made its debut at #29 on our list, with its $26.7M in fees for 2025 representing a 46 percent jump from 2024.
“Bodewell Group was built for this moment,” said CEO Chris Wahl. “As infrastructure investment accelerates, our clients need clarity, alignment, and results.”
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| Valerie De La Garza |
At Fenton Communications, which places an emphisis on cause-related work, a 6.6 percent jump in fees resulted in $25.8M in 2005 fees.
"The organizations we work with are fighting for voting rights, civil liberties, the integrity of our democratic institutions, and beyond," said Fenton CEO Valerie De La Garza. "With a critical election year ahead, Fenton is focused on doing work that moves the needle on the issues that matter most. We measure our success by the impact our clients have, and right now, that impact has never been more necessary."
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| Keith Zakheim |
New-York based energy and tech-focused agency Antenna Group, which came in at #40, saw a slight dip, down 5.6 percent, for $19.9M in 2025 fees.
“The race to build AI infrastructure and find ways to permit and power it saw the energy and technology industries converge in a real way in 2025, said CEO Keith Zakheim. "It made climate and energy communications no longer niche but core to enterprise value. In 2026 we are helping our clients communicate about access to power, water considerations and land use to build reputation and drive growth."
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| Jonathan Jadali |
Also making its first appearance this year is #42 Ascend Agency from Irvine, CA, which saw a 25.6 percent jump in fees to $15.4M.
“In 2025, Ascend Agency focused on building smarter systems, strengthening client partnerships, and scaling the business with intention,” said Ascend CEO & founder Jonathan Jadali. “That growth gave us the foundation to move faster and deliver more meaningful results.”
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| Greg Mondshein |
SourceCode Commnunications, which works with tech and innovation companies, brought in $9.9M in fees last year, taking it to #60 on our list.
"2025 was our best year yet and, more importantly, a year that clarified exactly what SourceCode is becoming," said SourceCode co-founder and managing partner Greg Mondshein. "Over the past year, we invested heavily in turning SourceCode into a more modern, tech-enabled agency—expanding our AI, measurement, AEO and content capabilities, launching new proprietary tools, and building programs that connect communications work more directly to business outcomes. We also expanded our footprint, opening in San Francisco while continuing to scale our UK business, and we’re increasingly supporting clients across multiple markets and more integrated scopes."
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| Steven Shapiro |
Communications Srategy Group (CSG), a Denver firm the works with clients across healthcare, education, financial services, wellness, consumer, aerospace and aviation and renewable energy industries, came in at #70, thanks to $6.7M in fees, a 16 percent jump from 2024.
"2025 was a year of meaningful growth for CSG and we see 2026 as a year of dynamic acceleration," said CSG founder and president Steven Shapiro. "As the landscape continues to evolve and AI becomes more embedded in the day-to-day work, we have layered in a more nuanced focus on intent, because activity without purpose is just noise. "
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| Evan Nierman |
For Red Banyan, which specializes in strategic communications and crisis PR, an upward drift of 9.5 percent took the firm to $5.2M in 2005 fees.
“PR underwent a seismic shift in 2025 with AI going mainstream and permeating nearly every aspect of day-to-day life for professional communicators," said agency founder Evan Nierman. "For Red Banyan, this meant widespread adoption of tools to make the agency even more nimble and our team capable of working more rapidly and efficiently than ever before."
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| Dana Rhoden Baran |
Miami-based The Dana Agency rode an expanded client roster to $3.3M in 2025 fees, a jump of 15 percent.
President Dana Rhoden Baran told us that "2025 was a year of meaningful momentum for The Dana Agency as we celebrated our 20-year anniversary with the launch of a new website, branding campaign and big party at Delilah Miami for clients, media, influencers, and partners who have supported us through the years." She said that "heading into 2026, we see a strong opportunity in further integrating public relations, social media and paid strategy, while continuing to invest in talent and service offerings that meet our clients' changing needs."
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| Brian Bellmont |
Bellmont Partners (#94) owner/president Brian Bellmont called 2025 "a challenging year" for his firm, reflected in a 12.5 percent drop to #3.5 million in fees.
"Numerous clients and prospects weren’t able to sign contracts until much deeper into the year. We saw that uncertainty coming, though, and worked hard to adjust expenses accordingly," Bellmont said "I’m happy to report we made it through 2025 without any layoffs, and all the additional business development work we fostered throughout the year really paid off. We saw welcome momentum in Q4 and began 2026 with significant wind at our backs."
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| April Mason |
A focus on earned media coverage put newly ranked Violet PR at #96 on our list. The Montclair, NJ firm had $3.4M in fees, up 22.6 percent from 2024.
“Last year, we placed more than 3,600 news stories reaching an audience of 15 billion people,” said Violet PR president April Mason, who added that the firm “is on track for a similar growth pace in 2026 thanks to our client relationships, consistency of service and storytelling skills.”
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| Barbara Goldberg |
With a 6.5 percent rise in fees to $3M, Ft.Lauderdale, FL-based O'Connell & Goldberg PR Firm, which ranks #101, had its "best year to date" in 2025.
CEO & founding partner Barbara Goldberg also said the firm has "entered 2026 with strong momentum. We’ve spent the past few years intentionally evolving the business, with our belief that good people make good news, and that’s paying off."
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| Scott Baradell |
Idea Grove of Lewisville, TX rejoined the O’Dwyer’s list after a year away at #114, thanks to $2.3M in 2025 fees—up 36.5 percent from 2024.
“What was notable about last year was the shift in why people were calling us. At the start of 2025 they wanted media coverage; by the end they were asking how they show up in Claude and ChatGPT,” said Idea Grove CEO Scott Baradell. “We've worked hard to stay ahead of that transition.”
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| Gina Rubel |
Furia Rubel, a professional services PR firm, rode a 26.6 jump to $2M in fees for 2025 and the #115 spot on our list.
“Law firms and professional service organizations face greater complexity than ever, including governmental pressures, reputational risk, increased competition globally, and technological advances such as AI,” said Furia Rubel Communications CEO & general manager Gina Rubel. “These firms need trusted and knowledgeable advisors who can provide proactive public relations, crisis and litigation communications.”
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| Lori Rosen |
The Rosen Group, the NYC-based agency at #116, made solid strides last year, with a 3.5 percent jump in fees to $2M.
"By delivering high-impact media placements that directly fueled sales growth, we demonstrated that earned media needs a seat at the table." said agency president Lori Rosen. "Impacting our clients’ bottom line is the ultimate benchmark of success. In 2026, we are continuing to lean into these strengths and champion PR as an essential, ROI-driven strategic asset."
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| Bob Spoerl |
Bear Icebox Communications, which works with B2B clients across industries including investing, construction, e-commerce and commercial real estate, as well as AI and blochain, entered our list at #117, with $1.8M in fees, up 66.7 percent from 2024.
"2025 was a year of strong revenue growth—and we couldn't have done it without our amazing clients and talented team," said agency CEO, president and co-owner Bob Spoerl. "This year is off to a great start too and we're thrilled to be in conversations with some prospects doing some really innovative work. We've named our first-ever VP and are on the heels of our first-ever acquisition announced in January."
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| Kristine Naidl |
Chicago's Laughlin Constable Public Relations , our #119 firm, brought in $1.7M in fees in 2025, a 5.9 percent jump.
“We’ve delivered nearly 25% growth over the past two years by helping clients achieve measurable results," said Kristine Naidl, EVP & head of LCPR. "Our approach combines sharp strategy, operational efficiency, and best-in-class PR tools to deliver impactful work, whether you need a focused initiative or a fully integrated program.”
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| Andrew Healy |
A 9.7 percent uptick in fees took financial services firm Water & Wall to $1.7M in fees for 2025, and the #120 spot on our list.
"2025 was our strongest year yet," said founder and CEO Andrew Healy. "What's been really gratifying is how naturally our financial services roots translate into broader B2B work. Regulated industries, complex stakeholders and thought leadership-driven communications is a playbook that works well beyond Wall Street, and we’re seeing encouraging signs as we grow our B2B roster while maintaining a strong financial presence."
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| Josh Inglis |
Propllr (#126) had a year of "intentional growth," taking it to $1.4M fees, up 7.4 percent.
"Staying disciplined about the types of work we do best and the clients we serve best might limit growth, but it's why our client relationships are strong and our team retention is high," said founder and principal Josh Inglis. "This was also the year we refined our 'Trust Engine' framework, which codifies our approach to content and PR programs. Going into 2026, that foundation gives us the confidence to grow on our terms — with a bias toward action and results for every client we take on."
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| Chris Frates |
Storyline, a DC firm founded by CNN, National Journal and Politico veteran Chris Frates, made its first appearance at #127 with $1.2M in fees, up 65 percent from 2024.
“To protect their license to operate, companies must prove to policymakers, regulators and the public why they should be trusted,” Frates told us. “Our growth reflects an increasing market demand for storytelling that drives impact, earns trust and ensures clients are remembered.”
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| Filomena Fanelli |
Our #134 firm, Impact PR & Communications of Lagrangeville, NY, pulled in $940K in 2025 fees, a 19.4 increase.
“In 2025, Impact PR's growth was driven largely by strengthening our foothold in our key areas of expertise, particularly the banking and financial services sector,” said Impact PR’s CEO & founder Filomena Fanelli. “We also saw meaningful traction in the nonprofit space, which has experienced an increased need for communications support as funding instability and financial pressures are increasing.”
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PR Firms New to O'Dwyer's Ranking for 2026 |
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#8 Orchestra, New York, NY, $177M, 747 emp., up 4.8 #29 Bodewell Group, Phoenix, AZ, $26.7M, 140 emp., up 46.0 #30 Fenton Communications, Inc., New York, NY, $25.8M, 96 emp., down 6.6 #40 Antenna Group, New York, NY, $19.9M, 91 emp., down 5.6 #42 Ascend Agency, Irvine, CA, $15.4M, 12 emp., up 25.6 #60 SourceCode Communications, New York, NY, $9.9M, 34 emp., up 35.0 #70 Communications Strategy Group (CSG), Denver, CO, $6.7M, 36 emp., up 16.0 #79 Red Banyan, Fort Lauderdale, FL, $5.2M, 24 emp., up 9.5 #94 Bellmont Partners, Minneapolis, MN, $3.5M, 23 emp., down 12.5 #98 The Dana Agency, Miami, FL, $3.3M, 25 emp., up 15.0 #101 O’Connell & Goldberg PR Firm, Fort Lauderdale, FL, $3M, 20 emp., up 6.5 #114 Idea Grove, Lewisville, TX, $2.3M, 10 emp., up 36.5 #115 Furia Rubel, Philadelphia, PR, $2M, 10 emp., up 26.3 #116 Rosen Group, New York, NY, $2M, 14 emp., up 3.5 #117 Bear Icebox Communications, Chicago, IL, $1.8M, 10 emp., up 66.7 #119 Laughlin Constable Public Relations (LCPR), Chicago, IL $1.7M, 6 emp., up 5.9 #120 Water & Wall, New York, NY, $1.7M, 8 emp,, up 9.7 #126 Propllr, Chicago, IL, $1.4M, 7 emp., up 7.4 #127 Storyline, Washington, DC, $1.2M, 3 emp., up 65.0 #133 CommCentric Solutions, Tampa, FL, $947K, 6 emp., down 11.2 #134 Impact PR & Communications, Lagrangeville, NY, $940K, 7 emp., up 19.4 |
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